(Fred Weinberg/The Penny Press) – Pardon me for being a Neanderthal knuckle dragger, but methinks it is time for a history lesson for those in the Nevada higher education establishment who would gladly forget how the University of Nevada at Reno came about and why it is not a good idea to try and balance its budget by forgetting its original mission.
UNR’s original mission is as a land grant university.
For those who do not know what that means, during the Civil War, Congress passed a law which mandated that each state would get 30,000 acres of Federal land for each Senator and Representative they had in Congress, that land would be sold and the proceeds would be used to establish colleges and universities to teach “Agriculture and the Mechanical Arts”.
While there was plenty to be unhappy about—most of the land was in the West and it was the first time the Federal Government’s nose was poked under the educational tent—a lot of schools were founded as a result.
One of those schools was the University of Nevada at Reno. In fact, it started life as the State University of Nevada in Elko. The school was moved to Reno in 1885 in recognition of the fact that over half the state’s population was in the Washoe County area.
The sad fact is that Agriculture these days is not as sexy as liberal arts and sciences, but it is, in fact, a huge industry in the state and its cornerstone is the heritage of UNR.
Since its founding, UNR has been a large factor in training ranchers, farmers and associated professionals in the state.
However, facing the current economic pressures, there is a faction at the University, which would, if they could get past the Board of Regents, seek to balance the budget by selling off parts of the Ag Station for commercial development.
The current rezoning of part of the Ag Station is a protective maneuver on the part of the real estate professionals who manage the University’s portfolio. But if supervision is not applied to their bosses, it would be way too easy for those bosses to raise some quick money at the expense of the University’s mission.
Were that to happen, former Vermont Congressman Justin Morrill would be turning over in his grave. He sponsored the Land Grant act of 1862 and, yes, that building on campus named Morrill Hall is named in his honor.
The problem these days with Agriculture as a curriculum, is that it’s not cool.
People assume that beef is something you buy at Raley’s or Wal Mart. Corn is something which must come from China.
We may be the breadbasket to the world, but farmers and ranchers never get credit for feeding us anymore. In fact, most urban school kids have little or no idea what cowboys really do for a living, much less farmers.
We’ve gotten so far away from the agrarian society we used to be that becoming a farmer or rancher sometimes isn’t even considered a career option.
That’s a situation which Land Grant Universities such as UNR were established to prevent.
That’s a mission which cannot be fulfilled if we allow the very tools necessary to teach the next generation of people who will run one of the largest industries in the state to be sold off for commercial development.
I’m well aware that money is tight and that tax increases are not in the cards.
But nobody has asked the industry for help that we know of.
I’m also aware that there are departments and curriculums which may make certain administrators and faculty members happy but do not support the mission of a land grant university.
With all due respect, buried amongst the very important agricultural and engineering curriculums is the Woman’s Studies department. You can get a BA in that. I’m sure it’s important. But more important than Agriculture in Nevada?
You can get a Master’s Degree in “Equity and Diversity in Educational Settings”.
I’m not trying to beat up a great institution.
I’m merely pointing out that the University cannot be all things to all people and if it comes down to sticking to its original mission or following today’s politically correct path, I’d rather see the University do what it does best.
As time goes on, there will be greater and greater pressure to de-emphasize curriculums such as Agriculture and that would be a huge mistake.
I would also observe that stiffening the backbones of both the University’s administration and the Board of Regents is something which should be led by the industry.
We’re in the middle of a large fight with the Federal government on grazing allotments and the ultimate use of Federal land. A large part of that land is controlled by the Department of Agriculture.
How could we press them on grazing allotments with a straight face when we might consider selling off part of the state University’s own Ag Station?
Selling off assets is no way to balance a University’s budget.
Better to make Agriculture cool again.
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